Matchmaker Ino
by Hurri
Summary: Ino notices that her fellow ninja have been feeling lonely. Solution? Improve their love lives! But while Ino is busy making matches for others, she never stops to think about making a match for herself... Ino's POV
1. Part Time Kunoichi

_**Summary: Ino notices that her fellow ninja have been feeling lonely. Solution? Improve their love lives! But while Ino is busy making matches for others, she never stops to think about making a match for herself... Ino's POV**_

_**Main pairings: InoSai, ShikaTema, SakuKiba, NaruHina, NejiTen**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**_

**Chapter 1: Part time Kunoichi**

I was lying in the sun when I met Sakura. It was a lovely day in Konoha, I had no mission, and I decided to make the best of the weather. Shikamaru's obsession of clouds must have been rubbing off on me, because there I was, stretched out on the grass, looking up at the sky. I enjoyed the heat of the sun and closed my eyes.

"Ino?"

I opened my eyes and saw Sakura standing over me. Normally she was holding some ingredients for soldier pills, or some of Tsunade-sama's paperwork, but today her hands were empty.

"Hey there, forehead," I said teasingly. To my surprise, she did not snap back and call me "Ino-pig". She must have something on her mind, I thought. "What are you thinking about?" I asked.

Sakura sat down next to me and looked up at the sky. "I'm just wondering... how Sasuke-kun is," she said quietly.

I stared at her. She still wasn't over him. I couldn't believe it, and had no idea what to say.

"Sakura..."

She looked at me, her green eyes sad. I couldn't continue. Three years. _Three years_ since he left, and still, after all that time, she's still wallowing away in sorrow. She needed something to take her mind off Sasuke, someone to take his place... I gave myself a small smile as a plan formed in my head. I stood up.

"Sorry, forehead, but I gotta run. I told... Shikamaru that I'd meet him somewhere," I improvised quickly. Sakura nodded and lay back, just as I had been doing and stared up at the clouds. I could tell she was still thinking about Sasuke.

I hurried away, but kept glancing back at her, but she never moved. I was so deep in thoughts that I crashed right into Shino!

"Oh... uh, sorry!" I said, helping him to his feet.

"Not at all," he said, but he sounded a bit put out. Of course, it was hard to tell anything from his expressions, because you couldn't _see_ his expressions. I looked Shino up and down. Would he be a good distraction for Sakura? I couldn't tell whether he was good-looking or not, but he might be... No, I thought. He's too closed off. She needs someone who's open.

I walked off without a word, heading towards one of the training grounds. Lee was there, kicking a tree stump and counting. I leaned against a tree.

"Hey there, Lee."

He looked up, but carried on kicking the stump. "Hi there – 735 – Ino-san – 736." I examined him carefully. Of course, I knew Sakura liked him as a friend, and I also knew that Lee would gladly go out with her. But _ew!_ I mean, his hair, his eyebrows, his clothes? Although, I mused, if he had a haircut, shaved his eyebrows a bit and wore different clothes then he might be quite good looking...

"Um... Lee?"

"740. Yes, Ino-san? 741."

"Have you ever thought about... getting a makeover?"

He was so shocked he stopped practicing his kicks. "A makeover?"

"Yeah, like... change your look," I said, hope rising inside me. Would he do it? If he did, then Sakura would definitely go out with him...

Lee shook his head. "But I look so youthful already! Why would I want to change?" With that, he went back to kicking the stump.

I sighed and scolded myself for ever thinking that Lee might change. "Well, see you later then."

Who else was there? Of course, there were lots of guys in our age group – twice as many as there was girls. There was Shikamaru, but he was too lazy. There was Chouji, but he was too big-boned (I'd gotten so used to not saying the F-A-T word near him I don't even _think_ it any more). Shino was too antisocial; Neji's hair was too long; Lee was, well, _Lee;_ Naruto was too much of an idiot; Sai... I paused. Why not Sai? I couldn't think of anything _wrong_ with him, but for some reason I really didn't want him to go out with Sakura. Why not? I shook my head and carried on with my mental list. Which leaves... Kiba. Of course! He was quite good-looking, and he wasn't lazy, big-boned, antisocial, long-haired or an idiot. Kiba. Perfect.

I went to the Inuzuka house and knocked. Kiba's sister Hana answered the door. She looked surprised to see me. "Ino? What can I do for you?"

"Is Kiba around?"

Hana looked at me and smiled, clearly jumping to the wrong conclusion. "He went to buy some more dog food."

"All right, thanks!"

I made my way towards the shops, but Kiba wasn't around no matter where I looked. Then, I spotted two big dogs playing together. The smaller one was pitch black with a white spot on his head, while the bigger one was white. I recognised him at once. "Akamaru!"

Akamaru looked up and barked happily at me, then went back to playing with the other dog. I saw Kiba sitting on one of the stone benches, looking quite sad. I ran towards him and sat down.

"Hey, Kiba! Who's Akamaru's friend?"

"One of Hana's dogs," sighed Kiba. I understood. There was Akamaru with a new friend, while Kiba was left out. Kiba would appreciate some female company, I was sure.

"You doing anything this afternoon?"

My question startled him. "No," he said, eyeing me with surprise.

"How about you join me and Sakura later in the park around two? We'd love for you to come."

Kiba nodded. "Sure." He sounded a lot happier at the thought.

"See you later, then!"

I walked back into my mum's flower shop and took my mobile phone out of my pocket. I scrolled through the contacts and phoned Sakura. She picked up after the first ring.

"Ino?"

"Hey, Forehead! You got anything planned later?"

"Not really..."

"Well, meet me and Kiba at the park at two. We'll have fun!" Or at least, you will, I added in my head.

"Yeah, sure." She still sounded down.

"See you later, then!" I hung up. Perfect. Now all I had to do was wait a while then cancel, and Kiba and Sakura had a date! I felt immensely pleased with myself. I liked this feeling. I wanted to experience it more.

"All right!" I said to myself quietly. "From now on, I'm part time kunoichi, and part time matchmaker!"

"Ino? That you?" Mum came out of the back room. "Give me a hand with these daffodils will you?

Sighing, I went to work.

_**Hope you liked that. I just thought that if any of the five kunoichi in their age group would become a matchmaker, it would be Ino. **_

_**Please review! You could give me ideas for other pairings to add as well, because there is absolutely no limit if Ino's the matchmaker (well, there are only a certain number of characters). I'm thinking of pairing Shizune with someone, because I bet she gets tired of working for Tsunade every single day. She needs a social life.**_


	2. Flowers

_**Summary: Ino notices that her fellow ninja have been feeling lonely. Solution? Improve their love lives! But while Ino is busy making matches for others, she never stops to think about making a match for herself... Ino's POV**_

_**Pairings: InoSai, ShikaTema, SakuKiba, NaruHina, NejiTen**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**_

**Chapter 2: Flowers**

"So, how was your afternoon?" I asked. "Sorry I couldn't make it."

"It was good. We had a really great time!" said Sakura, her eyes shining. She looked a lot happier than she had yesterday. I felt really good about myself.

Going back into the flower shop, I looked through the ones we had on display. What was the best kind to give Sakura? She liked pink and red, but maybe would prefer something more individual? I crouched down and examined them all closely.

"I thought you worked here, not shopped here."

I jumped and turned around to see Sai standing there, holding a canvas. He was smiling at me, as if he was really happy I was there. His black hair was falling into his eyes and he looked really cute standing there... What was I thinking? I shook my head and stood up. "Hey Sai! What's the canvas for?"

"Well... I wanted to paint something, but I couldn't think of anything to paint," he said. "So I thought I'd take a walk and maybe I'd find some inspiration. It was a good idea."

"Really? So you've found something to paint now?"

He nodded.

"Well I suppose mum wouldn't mind you painting the flowers as long as you stay out of the customers' way."

"I wasn't going to paint the flowers. I was going to paint you."

A blush spread across my cheeks. The guy was so sweet sometimes. "OK, sure. I got time on my hands. Where do you wanna go?"

"There's a place outside where I go to paint."

I followed him out of the shop, my mind still on the flowers. Red? Pink? Gold? White? I had no idea what Sakura would like.

"Hey, Sai. You're good with colours and stuff aren't you? I mean you are an artist," I said while I posed for him.

"Why? Are you learning to paint?" he asked, beginning work on the canvas.

"No, I'm wondering what kind of flowers Sakura would want."

Sai raised an eyebrow. "I didn't realise you liked Ugly Sakura like that -"

"No no! Not like that! I'm trying to set her up with Kiba!"

Sai blinked. "Dog-breath?"

I laughed. "You like coming up with nicknames, don't you? But yes, Kiba. But what kind of flowers would she like?"

Sai shrugged. "To someone like her, I'd say flowers were flowers."

I shook my head. "I've always known more about them than her, but she did win second prize for flower arranging when we were at the Academy."

"And what colours were those flowers she won the prize for?"

I tried to remember. "Pink and white I think."

"Then give her red and white flowers."

"Red and white? Where did that come from?"

"Pink and white would bring back too many memories of her early childhood which would make it impossible for her to think of Kiba romantically, so use red instead of pink to add more seriousness and passion. Also, the clothes she wears are normally red, pink and white, so it would make her feel that the person who gives her the flowers truly understands her style."

I whistled. "Wow, Sai. You're smart."

He gave me one of his cute smiles. "Thank you, Gorgeous."

I blushed again and grinned. I never could figure out why he called Sakura Ugly, Kiba Dog-breath, and Naruto Idiot (among other things), but he always called me Gorgeous. Well, Sai was quite strange sometimes.

Later, when Sai's portrait was done, and I was aching all over from holding a pose for so long, he let me see it. It was absolutely amazing. He'd made me look a lot prettier than I really was. "Wow, Sai. You could stop being a ninja and make a living out of this." He smiled again. "Thank you."

I was on my way home when I passed by the Hyuuga house. Outside was Neji, but I was surprised to see he wasn't training. Instead he was sitting down, staring at a picture in his hand which I couldn't see. Being extremely curious, I crept closer, but of course he sensed me and stood up abruptly, stuffing the picture away. "Who's there?"

"Only me," I said, walking closer. He nodded at me, looking slightly relieved. I wondered what picture he had that he was staring at.

"I heard that you spend most of your time these days training with your uncle," I said.

He nodded. "He's training with Hinata-sama right now. He told me to take a break." I could tell something was bothering him.

"What's wrong, Neji?"

He opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head and closed it again. He didn't want to tell me. I nodded. "It's OK, I don't mind."

Then, as suddenly as I could, I grabbed for his equipment pouch where he'd stuffed the picture. Taken by surprise, he didn't react in time, and soon I held in my hand a photo of a smiling Tenten, waving at the camera. I stared. _Neji_ was in _love_?

Neji wrenched the picture out of my hands, his face scarlet. That was more surprise. Neji never blushed. Ever.

"Neji..."

"What?" he snapped, not meeting my eyes.

"Never mind. I'll see you later." I walked away from the Hyuuga house, deep in thought. Neji liked Tenten. Wow. Normally I would tell everyone I met, since this was a very juicy bit of gossip, but I didn't. Maybe it was because of my efforts with Kiba and Sakura, but I wanted Neji to be happy. I grinned. What if I _helped_ him be happy? If I could do it for Kiba and Sakura, then I could do it for Neji and Tenten.

Congratulating myself on my plan, I went into the flower shop and collected a pretty bunch of red and white flowers, just as Sai had suggested. I tied them together with a ribbon and attached a note saying, "_From an admirer. I think you know who_". I giggled quietly to myself, before sneaking over to Sakura's house and leaving the flowers just outside the door, which she would see when she went home later. Delighted with the day's work, I made my way back to the shop. I was tempted to buy a box of chocolates and leave them at Neji's house, but Hanabi or Hinata might find them, and even so Neji would probably guess they were from me, not Tenten. I was lounging behind the counter of the shop, thinking about how to bring Tenten and Neji together when I saw Tenten walk past... arm in arm with a boy!

Horrified, I leaped to my feet and ran out the door. Sure enough, there was Tenten walking up the street, linking arms with one of the local boys who wasn't a ninja, which was why I couldn't put a name to the face. I'd seen him around the village, of course, but never talked to him. They might not be going out, I told myself quietly. Maybe they're just...

But just then the boy stopped and Tenten turned to face him. They both smiled and bent their heads towards each other. I felt like screaming when their lips touched. Why? Why would Tenten go for such a guy if she could have _Neji_? That guy wasn't even good-looking! Well he was a bit... But not as cute as Neji! Not that I thought Neji was cute. Neji was OK (despite the long hair), but not as good-looking as, say... Sai. I surprised myself with that. Normally I would have thought, not as good-looking as _Sasuke_. Sai...

I shook my head, stopping my mental babbling. Tenten and her boyfriend had stopped kissing and were walking again, Tenten's head on his shoulder. All traces of my self-confidence and satisfaction vanished. I was mad. This stupid boy had made things difficult for me. And I would get him. He would pay.

_**Scary Ino! Don't make her angry or you will regret it!**_

_**Hope you liked that, I'll add the next chapter soon.**_

_**Please review! Your reviews are loved!**_


	3. Sleepover

_**Summary: Ino notices that her fellow ninja have been feeling lonely. Solution? Improve their love lives! But while Ino is busy making matches for others, she never stops to think about making a match for herself... Ino's POV**_

_**Pairings: InoSai, ShikaTema, SakuKiba, NaruHina, NejiTen**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**_

**Chapter 3: Sleepover**

"And then he said the most h-horrible things to me!" choked Tenten, tears still flowing.

"Oh, that's terrible. Poor you, Tenten!" I said, hugging her, and smiling behind her back. "Who would have thought?"

"Well, I really d-don't know why I w-went out with him in the f-f-first place," she sobbed. "When h-he asked me l-l-last week I thought 'why not?'. He w-was OK, I guess, until yesterday afternoon, when he j-just changed!"

"You know what you need, Tenten?" asked her kindly, patting her on the back. "A sleepover. All of us girls. Take your mind of things."

"I-I'm not s-s-sure..."

"Oh, go on! Maybe Hinata would let us have it at her house, she has the biggest one."

Tenten stared at me and stopped crying. "The Hyuuga house?"

I smiled and nodded. "The one and only. What do you say?"

She nodded, and I grinned. "I'll phone Sakura and Hinata then," I said. "Then we can meet at Hinata's around seven, K?"

"Sure," said Tenten, looking a lot happier. I wondered whether it was the sleepover itself or the location of it that had cheered her up.

I walked away from her training area, and as soon as I was out of eyeshot, punched the air. Of course, it had been difficult to get near enough to do a mind-body switch on Tenten's boyfriend and not be seen (especially when my own body collapsed), but I managed it. I had not particularly enjoyed saying nasty things to Tenten while in possession of her boyfriend's body, but it had worked and she dumped him. I also refused to feel guilty about it. Tenten wouldn't have been happy in that relationship anyway. She would be much better off with Neji. Anyway, that boy was lucky I didn't get rid of him in a different way, like, say, tricking him into calling Chouji fat, or calling Tsunade-sama an old hag.

I picked up my phone and called both Sakura and Hinata. Sakura sounded extremely happy and we even had a shouting match over the phone, her calling me Ino-pig and me calling her Forehead Girl. It was nice that she was her old self again. Hinata was perfectly happy to have a sleepover at her house, so my plan was all set.

Around seven, the four of us were gathered in Hinata's huge bedroom. We played some music and watched films late into the night. Tenten got up to go to the toilet, and I heard her voice in the corridor saying, "Oops, sorry, Neji! Wrong room!" I grinned triumphantly when I heard that. Around three in the morning we were all lying in bed, fighting to stay awake. "I've got an idea!" I said loudly, making the three of them jump. "Let's spill all our secrets!" I jumped up and turned the lights back on.

They didn't seem overly enthusiastic about it, but agreed in the end. We all sat in a circle on the floor. "You first Hinata," I said.

Hinata went scarlet. "Well... um..."

We all waited.

"I...."

"You...?"

"I like...."

"Who do you like?"

Hinata said something so quietly we couldn't hear her.

"We didn't catch that, Hina."

"Naruto-kun," she said, going even redder, and looking down at her knees.

The three of us exchanged glances and tried to look surprised. "Um... wow, Hinata," said Sakura.

"Uh... yeah. Wow," I said lamely.

"You next, Sakura!" said Tenten.

Sakura blushed as well. "No, you go, Tenten."

"Well, I -" began Tenten but she stopped then looked around. "Um... Hinata. Couldn't Hanabi, Neji or your father be, like, looking at us through the walls?"

Myself and Sakura stiffened. We hadn't thought of that. It was an incredibly uncomfortable feeling. I wished she hadn't mentioned it.

Hinata looked at Tenten curiously. "Why would they? It's three in the morning. Anyway, even if they could see you, they can't hear you. They'd have to be right outside the door for that."

I heard a faint scrambling just outside the door and grinned to myself. The others hadn't heard it. "Yeah, so go on Tenten," I urged.

Tenten nodded. "OK, well, I really don't know what to think. Because I broke up with Haruo yesterday, but I think I like someone else, I'm just not sure..."

I smiled smugly. "OK. Sakura, your turn."

"No, Tenten has to tell us the guy's name first," she protested.

"No point, seeing as she's not sure of her feelings yet," I replied, and Tenten gave me a grateful look. "Spill, forehead."

"Well, Kiba asked me out on a date..."

I tried not to look too triumphant. "And?" I asked innocently. "Are you going?"

Sakura blushed and said nothing but she nodded.

"Nice one!"

They all looked expectantly at me. "Why are you looking at me?"

"Because it's your turn, Ino-pig!" said Sakura, hitting me with a pillow.

Of course! I hadn't thought about that. I'd been so intent on their stories that I didn't even think about what _I_ was going to say. What _was_ there to say? "I got no secrets. You lot know everything about me," I said, grinning.

"Oh, don't give us that," said Tenten. "Who do you like?"

"Who do I like?" I repeated. I shrugged. "I'm a free spirit. Nothing's taken my fancy yet."

"I just thought..." said Tenten, trailing off. "Well, you and Shikamaru..."

I laughed. "Me and him? No way. He is sooo not my type. For one thing, his hair. I like black hair, but the way he wears it? He looks like a pineapple."

They laughed with me, but inside, I was still searching for the answer to Tenten's question. Did I have an answer? Did I _need_ an answer?

The next day I was out in the sun again. I liked the sun, and I liked the heat. It was really relaxing to just lie in the grass and close your eyes. I heard footsteps coming towards me but only opened my eyes when they stopped right next to me. "Yeah?"

It was Naruto. I groaned inwardly at the sight of him. He was mature sometimes, but most of the time he was just an idiot. "Ino-chan, Tsunade-baa-chan wants to see you. Something about a mission."

"Where's Sakura? Isn't she Tsunade-sama's apprentice? She normally comes to fetch me if I have a mission," I said, standing up. Oh well. I guess it was too much to ask to have one more day of lying in the sun. Time to work.

"She's not around today. Guess what?" asked Naruto, his eyes wide.

"What?"

"She's on a_ date_," he said, as if it were the most shocking thing on earth.

"And?"

"Don't you want to know who with?"

"Kiba?"

"How did you know that?" asked Naruto grumpily. I shrugged and didn't answer, so he continued. "It's not fair! She'll go on a date with_ him_ but not with me."

"Oh, get over it. There are other fish in the sea."

"Like who?" he asked, sounding thoroughly miserable.

"Like Hinata," I said slyly.

"Hinata...?" he paused in thought, and grinning deviously, I walked away, off to see Tsunade-sama.

When I reached her office, I was surprised to see Shikamaru, Tenten and Neji there. "Yamanaka Ino," said Tsunade-sama in her very impressive official voice. "You, and the other three here have a mission in the Bird Country to get rid of some bandits. We have reason to believe that there are some highly skilled ninja leading them. Shikamaru, you will be leader of the mission. Any questions? Then go."

She waved her hand, and they left the building. "Clearing our bandits?" I whined. "No way!"

"It's troublesome, but we have to do it," said Shikamaru predictably.

I sighed, but then the idea of Neji and Tenten on the same mission sunk in. I was not going to waste this opportunity, I thought to myself, grinning as I glanced at the two of them. When we get back from this mission, they will be a couple, or my name isn't Yamanaka Ino, I thought.

_**NaruHina introduced! Muahaha Ino is so devious!**_

_**I know this was quite a weak chapter – I promise the next one is better. And I know this because I have already written it!**_

_**Please review! They give meaning to life!**_


	4. Mission

_**Summary: Ino notices that her fellow ninja have been feeling lonely. Solution? Improve their love lives! But while Ino is busy making matches for others, she never stops to think about making a match for herself... Ino's POV**_

_**Pairings: InoSai, ShikaTema, SakuKiba, NaruHina, NejiTen**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**_

**Chapter 4: Mission**

The whole way to the Bird Country, Neji was deliberately avoiding me, since I knew he liked Tenten. I didn't mind. After all, that way he was more likely to spend time with her. The only problem was Shikamaru. My self-given mission would be a lot easier without him around. But I'm not afraid of a challenge. Since it was so far, we had to stop and rest for the night to recover our strength.

"One of us ought to stay awake and keep watch," said Shikamaru. I could tell he didn't want to do it, the lazy slob.

"I will," said Neji.

Slowly a plan began to form in my head. As myself, Shikamaru and Tenten got out our blankets and lay on the ground, I kept my eyes firmly open. I had no intention of sleeping. There was work to be done.

When I was fairly sure that Tenten and Shikamaru were asleep, I got up. "Be back in a sec," I whispered to Neji, and ran off in no particular direction. I went out of eyeshot and circled around, so that I was still fairly close to the camp. I climbed a tree so that I got a good vantage point, and I snapped off a twig. Taking careful aim, I was about to throw it at Tenten to wake her up, but suddenly something grabbed my legs and pulled me down out of the tree. It was Neji, looking thoroughly irritated. I then realised that my plan hadn't really been the greatest. Neji was observant normally, but even more so when he was keeping watch. You can't sneak up on the Byakugan.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was... looking around," I improvised. Like I could tell him the truth!

"My eyes can see everything yours can and more," he said.

I shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. Had nothing better to do."

He sighed and shook his head, returning to the camp. I silently cursed. My plan failed! That was the problem with Neji. He saw too much. This was going to be harder than I thought.

When we reached the village we'd been told about in the Bird Country, we managed to seek out the bandits' camp. They weren't too difficult to defeat. After all, Shikamaru thought of a completely fool-proof plan, and even if he was irritatingly lazy, he was a genius with an IQ of over 200. We soon had the bandits rounded up, and were on our way home. In all that time, I never once found an opportunity to leave Neji and Tenten alone together. That was the annoying thing about being in a team of four. Shikamaru was always there.

However, on our way back, I seized my chance. We were about a quarter of the way home when a messenger bird arrived with a message for Shikamaru. He decoded it as quickly as he could. "It's from the Sand Village," he said. "They need my help right away. Doesn't say what with." I tried not to grin triumphantly. "Well, you'd better hurry, then. Must be urgent," I said.

Neji and Tenten nodded. Shikamaru sighed. "You're right. It's troublesome, but I'd better go."

He turned and left in a different direction, towards Suna. I smiled to myself as I carried on in the direction of Konoha. Things couldn't have gone more smoothly.

When we set up camp, I volunteered to scout the area. Of course, I had no intention of doing so, but Neji had used his Byakugan a lot, and was unlikely to be spying on me. Especially with Tenten there. Grinning to myself, I circled the camp at a reasonable distance, then crept closer and hid behind a bush. I was getting dirt on my clothes, but for once I didn't care. Neji and Tenten had got a fire going, and were sitting in front of it. Neji seemed to be trying to tell Tenten something. Could it be...?

"Tenten, I..."

"Yes?" Tenten looked up at him with big eyes. I had to clap both hands over my mouth to stop myself from squealing because of the cuteness.

Neji shook his head and looked away. Hmm, this was going to be tricky. Neji, prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan and Jounin of Konoha was not used to declaring his love. He needed a little help.

I made the hand seals and whispered, "Mind body switch!"

Suddenly I was inside Neji, and I turned to look at Tenten. She was gazing up at me with hope in her eyes.

"Tenten, I really like you," I said through Neji's mouth. "And I'd like us to be more than friends."

There, that would do. I released my jutsu, and returned to my own body, which was lying on the ground. Good thing I'd released it then as well, because suddenly Tenten closed the gap between the two of them and kissed Neji on the mouth! It was hard to tell what Neji was more startled at – regaining control over his body or Tenten kissing him.

I punched the air happily. Mission complete! I decided there was no more need for me to spy on them. They needed time alone, so I actually went and did what I said I would – scout the area. I was happy, satisfied and triumphant, and nothing could diminish my feelings.

When I finally went back to the camp, deciding that I'd given them enough time, both of them were asleep with smiles on their faces, heads turned towards each other. I felt happy for them, but at the same time, I felt something else, something unpleasant. It was longing and envy. I was glad that they were together, but at the same time I envied their relationship. They now had someone to love, and someone to love them...

Stop ruining it, I told myself silently, sitting by the fire. I stared into the flames and forced myself to think about something happy. I wondered what Kiba and Sakura were doing right now...

After going to see Tsunade-sama when we got back, I was about to walk to the shop when someone grabbed my arm. It was Neji.

"Go on ahead," he said to Tenten. "I'll catch you up."

She nodded, and left.

"You should go spend time with Tenten, not me," I smirked.

He met my eyes. "I know what you did."

I shrugged. "And? It all turned out for the best, didn't it?"

He sighed. "I appreciate your intentions, but please don't take over my body again."

I winked. "We'll see." And with that I ran off to the flower shop, where my mum was waiting behind the counter. She gave me a hug. "Hey, Ino, how did the mission go?"

"Mission successful, mum," I replied with a grin. "We succeeded big time."

_**Chapter 4 done! Hope you liked it... sorry it was a bit short. I loooooove NejiTen! So sweet! **_

_**Please review!**_


	5. Impossible Mission

_**Summary: Ino notices that her fellow ninja have been feeling lonely. Solution? Improve their love lives! But while Ino is busy making matches for others, she never stops to think about making a match for herself... Ino's POV**_

_**Pairings: InoSai, ShikaTema, SakuKiba, NaruHina, NejiTen**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**_

**Chapter 5: Impossible Mission**

The next day was once again sunny, and once again mission-free. I went along to the park, humming quietly to myself, enjoying the heat.

I heard a quiet giggle and froze, turning to look for the source of the sound. I saw Kiba and Sakura sitting together on a bench, Akamaru lying at their feet. It was like a classic romantic scene! Well, plus a dog. Quiet as I could, I crept closer, keeping to the shadows. They were too absorbed in each other to notice. I held my breath as their heads came closer together, slowly...

"COME ON!!!" I felt like screaming at them, but managed to remain silent through extreme self-control.

Finally their lips touched, and I filled with emotion – but not what I expected. I expected to feel pride, satisfaction, or joy. Instead I felt a pang in my heart, watching the two of them together. I envied Sakura there. Not because I wanted Kiba as a boyfriend, but because she _had_ a boyfriend, and one who loved her so completely. Instead of smiling, I felt like crying, and had to sit there for a while, lost in my thoughts and emotions.

Eventually, I got up and sneaked away. Kiba and Sakura were still sitting together, their arms around each other. I didn't want to see any more.

I was sitting behind the counter in the flower shop, my feet up on the desk, completely lost in my thoughts when the door opened. I was surprised to see Neji there, looking extremely uncomfortable. I shoved my thoughts and emotions to one side, and set my mind on business once more.

"Hey there, Neji."

He nodded in response, still looking more uncomfortable than ever.

I winked at him. "Tenten's favourites are red geraniums."

A hint of a blush appeared across his cheeks, and he nodded again. I gathered the flowers for him into a bunch and he paid for them quickly. I gave him a knowing smile as he left the shop, which made him look even _more_ uncomfortable. But I could tell he was happy now that he was going out with Tenten. Neji was good at hiding his emotions most of the time, but I could still tell.

Later, I was standing at the Konoha gates chatting to Kotetsu and Izumo when Shikamaru walked through – accompanied by none other than the Kazekage's older sister Temari of the Sand Village.

"Hey there, Shika!" I waved at him. He raised a hand in acknowledgment, to lazy to wave properly. I skipped up to him.

"So what was this urgent mission that you had to race off to?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Turns out it _wasn't_ and urgent mission. Just a helping hand in organising the Chuunin exams. And then I had to bring Temari here because she represents the Sand Village for these preparations."

A smiled at Temari and she smiled back.

"Anyway, it's troublesome, but I've gotta go report to Tsunade-sama," said Shikamaru, and he and Temari left. I watched them go, and a thought popped into my head. _They actually look like a really cute couple_...

An evil grin crossed my face. Get Shikamaru a girlfriend? Mission impossible? I would see soon, I mused.

Waving goodbye to Kotetsu and Izumo, I made my way through into the center of Konoha, not really bothered about where I was going, because I was already scheming on how to bring together my lazy team mate and Temari.

My thoughts were disrupted as I found Hinata sitting in a restaurant alone, looking really sad. Remembering my mission to get Naruto to notice her, I ran into the restaurant and sat down next to her.

"Hi, Hina! What's up?"

She smiled sadly at me. "I'm just thinking about..."

"Naruto?"

She nodded.

"He does like you, you know!"

"Not in that way..."

"You should have more confidence in yourself! Tell you what, you two are going on a date tonight."

"A date?!" asked Hinata, wide-eyed.

I nodded smugly. "Yup." I walked home with her and picked out an outfit for her to impress Naruto. I tried not to make it _too_ showy, but with an idiot like Naruto, subtle hints don't work. You have to hammer stuff into his head.

I could have sworn I heard Tenten giggling as I walked past Neji's room and allowed myself a small smile. Little did my peers know that I was their saviour from heartache and loneliness.

In the end, I left the Hyuugas' house, my mind half occupied with Naruto and Hinata, and half occupied with Shikamaru and Temari. I didn't know Naruto's number (did he even _have _a phone??), but I knew where he lived so I stopped by. He was surprised to see me, of course, and came outside rather than let me into his apartment. I caught a glimpse of a huge mess all over his floor. No wonder he didn't want me to come in.

"Naruto, you are going to Ichiraku tonight," I said firmly.

His eyes widened. "SCARY! How did you know that?!"

I rolled my eyes. "It wasn't a prediction, it was a command, you idiot. You are going to Ichiraku tonight and you are treating Hinata to ramen. Pick her up at six at her house, and walk her home after dinner."

He scratched his head. "Why do I have to treat her to ramen?"

I sighed dramatically and leaned closer. "This is just between you and me, but Hinata's boyfriend recently dumped her, and she's been feeling really down. Just do me a favour, and take her out for ramen?"

He looked a little more enlightened, but a frown remained on his face. He reached into his pocket and took out his frog-purse. "Well, last time I was out with Ero-sennin, he kind of spent all my money," said Naruto apologetically.

I reached into my own pocket and pulled out some money. "I'm only doing this for Hinata," I warned. "And don't you dare tell her that you got this from me. Let her think it's your own money."

"Wait a sec!" he said. "Does this mean I'm going on a _date_ with her?"

"Yes. What's wrong with that?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Well... I always wanted my first date to be with Sakura-chan..." he began, but then shook his head. "But I suppose there's no chance of that now that she's going out with Kiba..."

"Naruto, just take Hinata out tonight. Pick her up at her house, buy her ramen, and walk her home. Make her feel loved. She's been really lonely lately."

He nodded. "OK, Ino."

I left his apartment and made my way to my team's usual training ground. Before I reached it, though I stopped. Shikamaru was there, and instead of training he was lying in the grass and staring at the clouds. Crouching out of sight, I thought hard, fully realising the difficulty of this mission. Shikamaru hated girls – he was always saying how "troublesome" we are. How on Earth was I supposed to get him into a relationship? I might have to do the same thing as I did with Neji and Tenten, but I wondered if I would get an opportunity. After all, it was highly unlikely that Temari and Shikamaru would get a mission together, and when they were together there were always other people there or around. It was at that moment that I fully realised how easy I'd had it up until then. With Kiba and Sakura it had been a few easy phone calls and a bit of encouragement; with Neji and Tenten it had been a few well-placed mind-body switches and the luck of getting that mission. I didn't know just how much luck I would need for this, but it would be a lot.

"Planning someone else's love life?"

I jumped. Why did Sai have to sneak up on me like that and make my heart leap uncontrollably?!

"Sai, please stop doing that to me," I said, recovering my breath. He smiled and looked so sweet it was impossible to be mad at him.

"You didn't answer my question," he reminded.

I shrugged. "If you must know, I'm trying to get Shikamaru and Temari together. Got any tips? Because I could really use some."

"That lazy guy? He could never get a girlfriend."

"Thanks for the encouragement," I said dryly. He looked uncertain for a moment before smiling again. "You're welcome."

"Uh huh. Well, I already know I'm talking Mission Impossible, but I will_ make_ it possible. I will."

"Why?" asked Sai curiously.

I shrugged again. "I dunno." I grinned. "I guess it's turning into an obsession."

_**I'm normally kinda neutral when it comes to Hinata pairings – I like most of them and have no favourites, but NaruHina is very sweet.**_

_**ShikaTema!!! Definitely of of my favourite pairings! Sorry to any ShikaIno fans!**_

_**Please please review....**_

_**Chapter Six: Success? Coming soon!**_


	6. Success?

_**Summary: Ino notices that her fellow ninja have been feeling lonely. Solution? Improve their love lives! But while Ino is busy making matches for others, she never stops to think about making a match for herself... Ino's POV**_

_**Pairings: InoSai, ShikaTema, SakuKiba, NaruHina, NejiTen**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews I've been getting! And thanks to those who've been giving me ideas for pairings, because as I said before, if Ino's the Matchmaker then there's no limit!**_

**Chapter 6: Success?**

The good weather would not last. I knew that. But I was too busy to be making the best of it. I was everywhere in the village, dropping hints, planting suggestions, and all sorts of other things. I even picked Ayame's pocket at Ichiraku and stole her purse, then letting Chouji "find" it and return it. To repay him, she gave him lots of free ramen, and they chatted for ages.

Anko was very hungry after a mission, so I suggested Kakashi buy her some dango. I spied on them, half because I wanted to make sure their "date" went as planned, and half because I was hoping to see under Kakashi's mask. Unfortunately, he ate nothing himself, so I never saw his face. But I did see them exchange phone numbers.

I had lots of success with couples all over Konoha, but no matter how hard I tried, Shikamaru and Temari's case seemed hopeless.

Hinata had now been on a few dates with Naruto, but they still hadn't kissed yet. This was a dilemma difficult to overcome, especially with me worrying at the same time over my lazy team mate and the Suna ambassador. I knew that Naruto was so much of an idiot he wouldn't realise that he liked Hinata until she kissed him, everyone could tell he liked her, apart from himself (and possibly Hinata).

"Hina, just go up to him and kiss him, then tell him you love him!"

"I can't!" Hinata went bright red and started shaking at the very thought.

I sighed. "Look, you -"

"Hi Hinata-chan! Hi, Ino!"

_Speak of the devil..._ If possible, Hinata went even redder as she looked up at Naruto. Suddenly a memory came back to me – Sasuke's first kiss. Hadn't Naruto been crouched on Sasuke's desk, glaring at him when Shikamaru elbowed him in the bum? Yes... and then he'd fallen forward and ended up kissing Sasuke on the lips. A smile spread across my face. Hinata saw it and looked wary. She knew I was planning something devious.

"Sorry, you two, but I gotta run," I said. "I'll see you later, K?"

"Hey, Hinata-chan," said Naruto. "Do you want to go get some ram-"

He was cut off as I gave Hinata a gentle push she wasn't expecting, and she fell forward, landing bang on target. Her lips were suddenly on Naruto's. I resisted the urge to laugh as I saw them there, wondering who looked the most surprised. Hinata looked like she was about to pass out. Stifling a triumphant laugh, I snuck away to look for Shikamaru.

I'd been trying to get him alone with Temari, and after that failed I'd been trying to get him in range for a mind-body switch. But there were usually people around who would see me making the seals (and even if they didn't, they could hardly miss my body falling to the ground when I left it). When there weren't people around, then usually Temari wasn't around, or Shikamaru would be able to see me. But I didn't give up. A Yamanaka never gives up.

Surprisingly, Sai had been of considerable help. I didn't know why, since he'd never shown any interest at all in matchmaking before. But I saw him often and he was always willing to share some advise. I always hoped I'd run into him, because I liked having him around. I don't know why, but it made me feel good.

I turned a corner in the street and ran right into Sai himself. My heart leaped as it always did, and I had to smile up at him. He had a bag on his back, and looked as though he had just been into the shop buying more ink.

"You've got a mission?" I asked, trying to cover up my irrational sadness.

"Yes, but I should be back soon, Gorgeous. Good luck with getting Lazy a girlfriend," he smiled at me. It was a strange smile he had. Tentative. Like he didn't know what else to do. Not fake, exactly, just uncertain.

Before I knew what I was doing I was hugging him tightly. "Thanks. Good luck on your mission."

I stepped back and saw confusion in his eyes. Then, slowly, his uncertain smile relaxed into a real, genuine one. Then he was gone, and I was left standing there, my mind spinning. What just happened? Why on earth did I hug him? And why was my heart thumping like I'd just run a marathon?

I collected myself there when I heard a female voice say, "No, I can't handle any more paperwork right now. I'm heading off to relax." It was Temari. She came into view and walked past me. She was _on her own_!

Today's my lucky day, I thought, as I waited for a bit before following her. I'd gotten quite efficient at following people unnoticed these past few days. Being a matchmaker was actually quite good ninja training. Even so, I was extra careful with Temari. After all, she _was _a jounin, and a very skilled kunoichi.

To my surprise, she didn't head to her apartment, but towards the forest. Excellent. I couldn't have asked for better luck. All I needed to do was find Shikamaru. He was either at his house playing Shogi, or lying somewhere outside watching clouds. Committing the direction Temari was going in to memory, I ran off in search of Shikamaru. I called at his house, but his mother said he was out (and didn't look very happy about it). I left as fast as possible. Shikamaru's mum was scary. I tried every little grassy place and every rooftop I could think of in Konoha, but no luck. Out of breath from all my running, I slumped against a wall. Where on earth could he be?

I went on a random wander which brought me by the graveyard. I distinctly saw a shape standing at -

"Asuma-sensei's gravestone! Of course!" I exclaimed to myself. Why hadn't I thought of that?!

I crouched by the gate, and was delighted to find I was just in range. "Mind Body Switch!"

Suddenly, I was Shikamaru, staring at Asuma's tombstone. "Sorry, Shikamaru," I said through his lips, knowing he could hear me. "But this is something you have to do."

I ran to the gate where I saw my own body lying on the ground. I picked myself up, wondering where to put me. I couldn't really afford to waste any time. For all I knew, Temari had left the forest while I was running around Konoha looking for Shikamaru. Unable to think of anything more creative, I dumped my body just inside the graveyard, positioning it so that people where unlikely to see it. But I knew that I should be quick about this. I didn't like the thought of people finding my unoccupied body there.

As Shikamaru, I ran towards the forest, glad that he was full of energy while my own body had none. I went in the general direction that Temari had done, but I still didn't know exactly where she was. As I searched, I could feel Shikamaru trying to push me out with his will power. I wouldn't last too much longer. Plus, I needed to get back to my body.

Eventually, I found her, relaxing on a fallen log. She looked up when she saw me (or rather, when she saw Shikamaru). She gave "him" a small smile. I smiled back.

Suddenly I could feel Shikamaru's mind fighting mine. I could guess what he was thinking. Probably something along the lines of "_Ohmygod! I can't believe you are doing this! Not funny, Ino, stop right now! what did I do to deserve this? It's just not fair! Why are girls so troublesome?_" I couldn't hold onto his body for much longer.

"Temari, about our relationship..." I began, but Shikamaru managed to take control for half a second, cutting me off.

Her eyebrows shot up. She was clearly surprised. "You mean, our relationship with me as the ambassador and you as my guide?"

"I'd like it to be something more... personal." I had to force the words out. Shikamaru was putting up some fight now, but I was determined to do this while I finally had the chance. "I really like you, Temari."

I was hoping that Temari's reaction would be like Tenten's, which would make everything really easy for me. Unfortunately, she seemed too shocked to respond. Well, I couldn't really blame her. How many times in a lifetime would you hear Nara Shikamaru confessing that he actually liked a girl?

Thinking fast, I considered my options. I needed Shikamaru himself to realise that he liked Temari. Which meant putting him in a situation he couldn't get out of. I couldn't ask Temari out on a date, because Shikamaru would either cancel or not bother showing up. I needed him to realise, right now, that he wanted this relationship.

I realised what I had to do, and internally cringed at the idea. Fighting both to keep the disgusted look I felt off my face, and to maintain control over the body. I walked up to Temari, who looked breathless. I forced Shikamaru's body to lean over, and touch his lips to hers. Ew. In a way I was kissing a girl. Sure, it was through a guy's body, but _still_! I released the jutsu. Hopefully things would work out from there. I knew that Shikamaru would hate me forever, and kissing Temari would never be one of my fondest memories, but hopefully it was worth it and they would be together now. The only problem with using the Mind Body Switch was that it would mean nothing if they didn't like each other in the first place, like with Neji and Tenten. All I could do was hope that Shikamaru and Temari _did_ like each other.

It took a while for my mind to return to my own body, since it was so far away. As I made my way there, I tried to imagine what Shikamaru and Temari were doing. I got an image of them kissing passionately. To my surprise, this image did not bring me any happiness at all. Just like with Kiba and Sakura, I felt envy and longing. My success was empty, and I felt no satisfaction.

I opened my eyes in my own body to see Kiba, Akamaru, Hinata, Naruto, Sakura, Neji and Tenten standing over me. Sakura looked as though she'd been shaking me. They were all soaked, and I soon realised that I was too. I looked up. Dark clouds had appeared and it was raining. The sunny weather had gone.

Sakura's eyes were also wet with tears. "I suppose you've heard then, Ino," she said softly.

"Heard what? What are you talking about?" I asked, sitting up. They all looked grave. "What's the matt-"

"It's Sai," said Naruto soberly.

My insides turned ice cold with worry. "What about Sai?"

"He's..." Sakura began, but then broke down into tears. Kiba put his arm around her.

"Sorry, Ino," said Tenten quietly. "He died on his mission."

_**Oh dear! Did I just write a cliffhanger? *evil grin* It was completely unintentional, I assure you!**_

_**Don't worry, though, I will add the next chapter soon! The next chapter is the last, I'm afraid. It's called The Truth and the End.**_

_**Please review!**_


	7. The Truth and the End

_**Summary: Ino notices that her fellow ninja have been feeling lonely. Solution? Improve their love lives! But while Ino is busy making matches for others, she never stops to think about making a match for herself... Ino's POV**_

_**Pairings: InoSai, ShikaTema, SakuKiba, NaruHina, NejiTen**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**_

**Chapter 7: The Truth, and the End**

"You... you're lying," I stuttered. I was numb with shock, unable to speak properly. Sai? It couldn't be...

"We wouldn't lie about this," said Neji. "Sorry, Ino."

I was speechless. "How...?"

"He was with Shino and Lee. They were ambushed by enemy ninja and they saw Sai get killed." I didn't care who was speaking. I only faintly heard the words. This was a nightmare, it had to be.

"Shino and Lee managed to get away, but they're sure that Sai is dead."

I shook my head. Sai couldn't be dead, he just _couldn't_. "Where?" I asked, my voice cold.

"Not far from here, just a mile or two north..." began Sakura, but she stopped when I jumped to my feet.

"I have to go see," I said, rain and tears running down my face. "I have to."

I ran to the gates and through them, not paying Kotetsu and Izumo the slightest attention. I was jumping through the trees, intent on only one thing.

My body was stiff and muddy from lying on the ground so long but I didn't care. All that mattered was Sai. I was faintly aware of the others following me, trying to speak to me, but I paid no attention. Because it was then that I finally understood the truth. Tears continued to flow out of my eyes, but I did not slow my pace. I was determined to find Sai. I could not believe he was dead. He couldn't be. I hadn't even told him yet...

"Everyone, stop. There are people up ahead," said Kiba.

"Byakugan," muttered Neji and Hinata at the same time.

"Seven people," said Hinata.

"The chakra flow of one of them is strange," said Neji. "I think they must be under a genjutsu."

"Sai?" I gasped. Neji shrugged. "It _must_ be Sai!" I exclaimed. "We have to go save him!"

"Shino and Lee -"

"Were under attack! They could have been wrong!" I put my hands on hips and glared at them all. "I am going to save Sai, whether you help me or not!"

"I'm going with you!" burst out Naruto. "I definitely won't abandon Sai!"

The others nodded.

"We should come up with a plan of ac-" Neji was cut off as I began to charge straight ahead, towards the group of people. I wasn't about to stand around and wait. What if Sai was hurt?

There were indeed six ninja standing there, each with a weapon in hand. I didn't even glance at their forehead protectors to see where they were from. I was focused on the figure slumped on the ground behind them, black hair trailing into his eyes. Sai.

A dozen kunai flew towards my face, but I ignored them. Someone (I guessed it was Tenten) threw some kunai of their own and deflected them all. My friends leaped in behind me and each faced off against an enemy ninja. I was aware of the fighting going on around me, but I paid no attention, going up to Sai. Remembering that he was under a genjutsu, I placed my hand on his shoulder and shoved my chakra into him. "Release."

His eyes opened. He stared up at me, and I stared back at him. Before I even knew what I was doing, I swooped down and kissed him on the lips, my arms wrapping tightly around him. He was taken aback by my sudden appearance and the kiss, but relaxed into it. I didn't care that I was tired, and wet and cold. I was in heaven. Suddenly, Sai grunted in pain. I let him go and looked down. There was a huge wound on his chest, covered in blood. It looked like he'd been stabbed.

I turned to call for Sakura, but she was busy trying to get close enough to punch a quick, jumpy shinobi. I would have to help Sai myself.

"Hold still," I muttered to him, and placed my hands over his wound, concentrating my chakra. A green glow came from my hands onto his injury. It was a difficult wound to heal, and Sakura was much better at medical ninjutsu than I was, but I was absolutely determined to save his life. Sai would not die, I would do anything to make sure that he lived. It was possibly the hardest bit of healing I'd ever done, and I was already tired from running all over Konoha, then running all the way there. I pressed on, focusing my chakra and ignoring my pain and exhaustion, and ignoring the rain and the mud. During this time, Sai simply stared up at me, no hint of a tentative smile on his face.

When I'd healed him, I almost collapsed next to him. The stiffness of leaving my body for so long came back to me, and I was weak with relief. Sai was alive. I felt as though all of my troubles had gone away. Nothing else mattered. Sai was all right.

I slumped on the ground next to him, and we supported each other, covered in water, mud and blood. I knew I looked a mess. For once I didn't care. "Sai..."

"Yes?"

"I can't believe I didn't see it before, it was only when I thought you'd died..." I turned to look right into his deep black eyes. "I love you, Sai."

Sai's eyes widened. "I still don't think I understand bonds, but... for some reason whenever you are around I understand them so much better. I think... I think I love you too, Ino."

I hugged him weakly, and rested my head on his shoulder, partly unable to believe it. Years ago, I would go on about no one but Sasuke, and see no boy but Sasuke. Yet here I was, finding myself in love with a ninja from ANBU Root, trained to have no emotions.

"Ino? Sai?"

Kiba's voice awoke me from my daydreaming. I got up shakily, and almost collapsed against Sakura. Neji and Naruto helped Sai to his feet.

"We'd best get back to the village," said Tenten. I caught a glimpse of six unconscious ninja tied up on the ground (sporting a number of impressive bruises and wounds) before I slipped into sleep.

When I woke up I was in the Konoha Hospital. I wondered why, since there was nothing wrong with me. Then I remembered what had happened the previous night. Sai... My heart leaped when I thought about him. I looked around, to find that he was in the bed next to mine, looking at me.

"Sai!" I breathed, getting out of bed and going to sit by him. "Are you OK? How's your wound?"

"The Old Lady said you did a good job," said Sai. "I'm fine now."

I giggled a bit at his nickname for Tsunade-sama. Of course, he never dared to call her that to her face. Not since the first time he tried that. I thought back to what had happened between us the previous night, and I could tell Sai was thinking about it as well, because a faint blush appeared across his cheeks. Sai, like Neji,_ never_ blushed.

"I was so worried about you," I said quietly. "When they told me you were dead..."

"I was stabbed, but not killed," said Sai. "They were spies trying to get information about Konoha. That's why they put me under a genjutsu."

I shuddered. "Never mind. Kiba, Akamaru, Sakura, Neji, Tenten, Naruto and Hinata took care of them." I leaned down and threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. Then he turned his face towards mine and kissed me. I kissed him back, and it was the sweetest feeling on earth. I finally had what I was missing, what I was jealous of. I had Sai, and he had me.

"WHAT?! You two are a _couple_?!"

Naruto's reaction had been predictable. I almost felt like snapping back sarcastically, "No, we're just walking out of the hospital holding hands with my head on his shoulder, but we're not a couple at all!"

The others' reaction, however, was not at all what I expected.

"All _right!_" yelled Tenten, high-fiving Sakura.

Neji looked smug, Hinata looked proud, and Kiba was punching the air triumphantly. "We did it!" He yelled.

"What?!" I asked.

"We've been trying to get you two together for _ages_," said Sakura. "You have no idea how much effort we put into this!"

I was speechless. I looked at our friends, completely at loss.

"What's the matter? You mean you didn't notice?" smirked Neji.

"You... what?!" I was still trying to get a grasp on the situation.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Well, we've been giving Sai lessons on how to act normal..."

"Which, believe me, took a lot of time and effort," put in Kiba.

"Not to mention the _many_ times we've tactfully managed to get the two of you alone together..." Tenten continued.

"Who's idea do you think it was that Sai paint you, Ino-pig?" winked Sakura.

"What?" I gasped and turned to Sai. His expression mimicked mine. "You knew about all this?"

"They _did _teach me a few things and recommend I paint you, but I had no idea this was what they were planning..."

"You didn't realise?" Typical. Only Sai could be that blind. Well, it _did _make sense. After all, I had been wondering why Sai had been acting reasonably normal.

"I can't believe you..."

Sakura smirked. "Well, we did. Anyway, Ino-pig, congrats! Now come on, everyone. Let's give the lovers some Alone Time."

They six departed in couples – Sakura and Kiba, Tenten and Neji, and Hinata and Naruto. In the distance I saw Anko and Kakashi holding hands, and behind them, Shikamaru and Temari, both looking very flushed. I could see Chouji and Ayame, and Hana Inuzuka and Shino in the distance. It seemed like everyone in the village had found a partner. But I could no longer take full credit.

"Sakura told me about dates," said Sai to me, a faint blush on his face. "Do you want to go on one?"

I smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. "Later, Sai. But first, I think Shizune's been feeling very lonely, and I heard Izumo was single..."

**The End**

_**That's the end. Don't you just love happy endings? Well, I know I do!**_

_**Thanks for reading – sorry it's a short fanfic. It's my first, by the way, I think I forgot to mention that. **_

_**Reviews always appreciated!**_

_**Hope you liked it!**_


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